Heartbeats
by Rikayu-chan
Summary: Eight years for one. Over two hundred for another. Two different people reconnect with the past and slowly head towards the future. The slow progression of trust, friendship, and perhaps more. A series of related drabbles. SessKag
1. Beginning

**Heartbeats  
****By Rikayu**

**Chapter One: The Beginning  
**

"Kagome?"

"I'm okay, don't worry."

"You always say that..."

Kagome watched her little brother lay back against the chair next to her bed that he'd determinedly kept himself seated in for the past four hours. He wasn't so little anymore though. He was taller than her in his all 20-year-old glory, but despite his growth into adulthood, Souta was still the same always curious and somewhat annoying boy he always was... And extremely worrisome, especially over his big sister.

When Kagome had opted to move out of the Higurashi household, he'd made a plan to later move close to her, or with her, after high school, if she'd allow it. About a month after his graduation, the boy'd settled himself in his sister's condo not far from the university he planned to attend. The same one where Kagome had started teaching a class on Japanese history.

He tried his best to take care of her and for that, she was grateful. The boy would, on top of his college workload, make sure that his older sister was eating properly and getting enough sleep. But sometimes, she'd stubbornly lock herself in her room with the lights on all night or sprawl on the living room floor with stacks of papers creating a kind of miniature city around her. She was a workaholic and now, she was dealing with the consequences.

"Hey," Kagome said as she affectionately brushed her hand on Souta's cheek. "Cheer up now, would you?" She ruffled his brown tuft of hair and gave a small snicker, "You're such a worry-wort."

The boy let out a laugh and brushed his sister's hand away. "Hey! You're the one who's always causing trouble!"

A curt knock interrupted and the door to Kagome's room slowly opened. Kagome paid in no heed but watched as Souta's eyes widened with confusion. "Hey, what is it?" she asked then turned to look at the doorway only to have her heart do a back-flip as her eyes ran over silver hair she thought never in a million years, she'd ever see again.

* * *

_A/N: I've been procrastinating on my other fanfics :P._

**PLZ REVIEW**


	2. Glasses

**Heartbeats  
****By Rikayu**

**Chapter Two: Glasses**

"I'm not crazy."

"Yes. Of course, you're not."

Kagome stared at the man sitting next to her bed. She blinked a little forcefully to assure herself that it was not a dream. He, on the other hand, did not look up at her at all. The sunshine coming from the window glared against his glasses and shielded his eyes from her, but she was too scared to look at them directly in any case.

He didn't ask her any questions as she thought he would. Any doctor would have at least asked, 'How are you doing?' or 'How are you feeling today?' But then again, he was unlike any doctor she'd ever seen, so normalcy of any kind was out of the question.

After a while, the man stood and without a word turned and silently walked towards the door. Kagome's eyes widened and she reached out her hand desperately.

"W-wait!!"

The man turned, his hand still on the door knob and paused. He release the door knob and walked back towards the chair next to Kagome's bed and sat down. He flicked his long silver hair behind his ear and slowly took off his glasses. Bright golden eyes pierced directly into her blue ones.

"And I thought you'd forgotten," he half-smirked.

Kagome smiled and released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "You're not someone I'd easily forget... Sesshoumaru."

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	3. Reasons

**Heartbeats  
****By Rikayu**

**Chapter Three: Reasons**

"I still don't understand it..."

He raised an elegant eyebrow at her question. "What is not to understand?"

Kagome stared at him from her place on her bed, her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped loosely around them. "I mean, out of all things, why are you a doctor?"

"Hn."

"Like... it just doesn't seem like something someone like_ you _would do."

"Miko, you are avoiding my question."

Kagome suddenly bursted out laughing, "You know, I haven't heard someone call me that in over eight years. But there's no need for my powers here, so its really pointless to call me that anyway." She settled down to a giggle before she rested her cheek on top of her knees and just looked at him with an eager expression. "So... come on, tell me why?"

The former demon lord adjusted his glasses and leaned back out of the rays of the sun that shone through the blinds, his eyes glowing in the slight darkness of the shadows. "Forgiveness."

The woman lifted her head and her eyes softened, her gaze settling on her wrist as the fingers of her other hand traced a single scar on her wrist. "It seems then..." she said as she looked up at him, a sad smile gracing her lips, "That we have the same reason."

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	4. Memory

**Heartbeats  
****By Rikayu**

**Chapter Four: Memory**

It was quiet.

It was uncommon for this room, almost unnerving, but as Sesshoumaru stared at the woman sitting on the window sill at one corner of the room with her knees drawn to her chest, he thoroughly believed today's silence was necessary. He continued to watch her, but even as several minutes passed, she remained as she was. Kagome looked outside the window, the expression in her eyes blurring between deep in thought and completely vacant.

Without so much as a word, the silver-haired doctor exited the room and closed the door behind him with a small click. Within several minutes, he walked out into the courtyard that linked the west-wing patients' quarters to the office building of the hospital. Halfway across the courtyard, a light breeze blew past the former demon lord and he paused, closing his briefly to relish the small pleasure.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and flicked to the outline of a figure looking out a window. As the breeze slowly died down, Sesshoumaru crossed the remaining half the courtyard and walked through two sliding glass doors before disappearing around a corner.

* * *

There was a small creak as the door opened, but the room was as silent as when he had left it earlier that day. But now, the room was cast in shadows and streaks of moonlight.

Sesshoumaru walked up to the bed but found it unoccupied. Instantly, his eyes looked up to the window in the corner. There, sitting on the sill, was Kagome. Quietly, he made his way towards the girl, stopping about a foot away from her.

She was asleep, her arms wrapped loosely around herself. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, slightly tousled and gleamed in the moonlight that shined through the window. Loose strands fell across her face and behind them ran a sparkling trail of tears that flowed from her closed eyes.

Being careful not to wake her, Sesshoumaru slowly lifted her up in his arms and walked over to the bed. He placed her down and pulled the sheets over her. As he straightened he felt a tug on his hair and he looked down. A lock of his silver hair that had slipped over his shoulder was tangled in Kagome's hand. His slender fingers reached down to ease hers to let go of his hair, but he stiffened as her fingers brushed against his.

"Inuyasha... Please... don't go..."

The former demon lord straightened and stared at the sleeping girl. He took out a small cherry blossom from his shirt pocket and let his gold eyes fall on it.

On that day, over five hundred years past, the cherry blossoms bloomed to mark the prime of spring. It was the same day that the final battle was fought and Naraku was finally defeated. It was also the same day that his half-brother and his companions died.

* * *

**End Note: **I'm not quite happy with how this chapter turned out. But I needed a way to say what happened to the rest of the Inu-tachi. And if you read last chapter, you know why Kagome's in the hospital.

**PLZ REVIEW**


	5. Aroma

**Heartbeats  
****By Rikayu**

**Chapter Six: Untitled**

Kagome cursed under her breathe as she pushed the glass door open and stepped inside. She shed her damp coat and slung it on her arm. The morning had started out bright and sunny, but after five minutes upon leaving her building, rain began to pour as if someone had slice the sky wide open. Thankfully, a cafe wasn't too far off down the block and so she made a run for it.

"Kagome-san! Long time no see!"

She looked up as she scraped her shoes against the floor mat. An old man with glasses waved from behind the counter. Kagome waved back, "Good morning, Fujioka-san."

"Would you like the usual?"

Kagome smiled, "Yes please. Thank you!"

As the old man disappeared behind door, Kagome stood in her place for a moment and let the warmth and the smell of the cafe soothe her insides before she turned. She walked down to sit at her usual spot next tp a window only to find that the table was already occupied. Her lips turned into a smirk as she realized who it was. "Good morning, Nishida-sensei," she greeted as she bowed politely next to the table.

The silver-haired man did not look up at her, nor did he reply to her greeting. He only continued as he was, writing on a piece of paper with a book opened in front of him. How typical.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll join you." Kagome sat down opposite of him and put down her purse on the spot next to her. A few moments later, Fujioka-san placed a single cup of fresh coffee in front of her and gave a small smile before returning to his spot behind the cafe's counter.

Kagome brought up the cup in front of her face and took a moment to appreciated the rich perfume. The hospital had deprived her of her coffee, and her cupboards were as dry as a tree stump. She'd have to thank Souta for that, but she couldn't blame him. The poor guy now often spent his nights working on final papers and his fine art projects he'd put off because of her hospital stay.

She blew the top of the brown concoction then slowly brought the cup to her lips, taking her first sip before placing it back down on the saucer. Her eyes then landed on the untouched cup sitting across from her. Judging from the papers neatly piled next to it, the man had been here for a while now, yet he did not drink even a drop of his coffee. The spoon and saucer were pristine, the sugar packets were unopened, and the tenril of steam that floated up from the cup was almost unnoticable if not already completely gone.

"You didn't drink any of your coffee," she pointed out before taking another sip from her own cup. "You don't like coffee?" she asked. Sesshoumaru, once again, ignored her and continued what he was doing, only flipping a page of his book before writing some more.

_'After five hundred years, he's still the same. Arrogant prick.' _Kagome placed her cup down ad leaned back, turning to look out the window. It looked like it was raining harder than before, so she'd have to wait longer. She turned back again to look across the table, and it was then she noticed more how the doctor was dressed.

After growing accustomed to seeing him the white doctor's coat, it was strange seeing the man in regular clothes. He was wearing a blue sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, and she remembered from before she sat down that he wore a dark pair of jeans. His glasses sat on the middle his nose and his long silver hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail at the base of his neck. His markings were probably hidden by a concealment spell, Kagome mused.

"You know, its getting cold," she said in a last attempt to start conversation, but to no avail. The former demon lord held his silence and Kagome settled for watching the rain splash against the window glass.

After a moment, footsteps and a tap pulled Kagome's attention to the old man standing next to their table. He placed down a plate of pancakes in front of Kagome, and to her surprise, another plate of pancakes in front of Sesshoumaru. "Enjoy," the old man said before walking off.

Kagome watched in amazement as the silver-haired doctor dropped his pen and picked up a fork. He slowly pressed down on the pancakes until he formed a small triangle shaped piece. However, he paused and for the first time since Kagome's sat down in front of him, looked up at the young woman. "Your food is getting cold," he said before he brought the piece of pancake to his mouth.

"But... but you're youkai."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "My being youkai is the reason you do not eat?"

Kagome ignored his statement. "You don't eat human food," she said.

"I never said such a thing," he simply replied.

"But you never ate before," the young woman pointed out. Even during the time when Sesshoumaru had traveled with the shard-hunters, she'd never seen the youkai eat the food they prepared, or anything for that matter.

"The smell of instant ramen is disgusting," he said as he guessed correctly of what she was thinking about.

"You're eating pancakes."

"Apparently so. I am a regular customer here."

Kagome tilted her head to the side. "I've never seen you here before. I always come here."

He paused and set his fork down. "I do not usually come here when it is light."

Kagome blinked and watched as Sesshoumaru hooked an slender finger through the cup handle. Slowly, he brought it up to his lips to take a sip. His amber eyes looked up at her through his glasses and he set the sup back down on the saucer.

"You drink coffee." Kagome looked down at the dog demon's cup. "But you barely need sleep, don't you? So you can't have that much need for something to keep you awake."

She watched as Sesshoumaru brought the cup up again. "When it is of a cooler temperature, the aroma is not so overwhelming," he said matter-of-factly as a reply to one of her earlier statements. "And there is no reason I should not appreciate a good cup of coffee."

Kagome sighed, a small smile gracing her lips. "Yes, Fujioka-san does make a great cup of coffee, doesn't he?"

* * *

**End Note: **If you're a bit confused. The term "sensei" is also used for doctors. And I know I made it seem like he was a bit of a vampire when he said he didn't come to the cafe when it's light out. Haha. It wasn't intended.

**PLZ REVIEW**


	6. Pathway

**Heartbeats  
****By Rikayu**

**Chapter Six: Pathway**

She was hopelessly late. And he, Sesshoumaru, did not tolerate tardiness.

No longer bothering to look at the wall clock or his wristwatch, the dog demon flicked the light switch to off, promptly locked his office door and began walking down the hall. He took a left to the stairwell and made his way down two flights before entering another hall. Halfway through the long, vacant corridor, the faint sound of his missing patient's voice drifted to his ears. As he continued in the same direction, her voice became clearer.

"Don't worry, we'll find the way, eventually. Maybe if we turn this way--"

As Sesshoumaru rounded the corner, Kagome ran directly into him and would have fell backwards if he hadn't caught her. When she was able to regain her balance, the youkai released her and took a step back.

"Oh thank goodness!" the woman said as she composed herself. "Listen, I know I'm late, but she was lost so I tried to help her."

The silver-haired doctor stared at Kagome then down at the small , brown-haired girl clinging to her skirt. The girl was pale and had a set of large brown eyes that peered up at him curiously. After a moment, the little girl's eyes widened as she recognized him.

"Nishida-sensei!" she said as she flashed a big, toothy grin and stepped out from behind Kagome.

The older woman looked up at him questioningly. "You know her?"

He gave a slight nod, but the little girl interjected, jumping in front of Kagome. "Nishida-sensei is my doctor, Kagome-nee-chan!"

"Oh? Aren't you a psychologist, Nishida-sensei?" Kagome asked.

"Nishida-sensei's a heart doctor! Right, Nishida-sensei?" the little girl argued as she turned back to look up at Sesshoumaru.

His hand ruffled the little girls hair, causing her to giggle and hold onto his arm. "I am mainly in charge of cardiology, but I also act as a doctor under the psychology department," he explained as he look up at Kagome.

Then, the dog demon squated and took the little girl's hand that clutched at his sleeve. "Aya, you shouldn't run off on your own."

The girl looked down at the ground, "I'm sorry, Nishida-sensei. I was only playing hide and seek with Kimiko-nee-chan. I didn't know I'd get lost."

"That's all right. Just do not do it again. Kimiko-san must be very worried about you."

"I won't do it anymore, I promise! Aya will be a good girl!" the girl smiled.

Sesshoumaru patted her head and made a motion for her to get on his back, "Come, I'll take you back now."

Aya wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and as he tucked his hands under her legs, he stood and began walking back up the hall he'd come from. The little girl waved back at Kagome, "Onee-chan! Hurry up!"

Kagome blinked as ran to catch up behind them. As she fell to a steady walk, she couldn't help stare Aya. She reminded her so much of Rin, the little human girl who followed Sesshoumaru those many years ago. As Kagome began to wonder what ever happened to the girl, her thoughts were interrupted.

"How is it that you insist on helping someone who is lost then end up further lost?" the said ice prince asked, his eyes focused to the path in front of him. "The pediatric ward is all the way at the opposite end of this building."

"Hey, its not my fault that the hospital is such a maze," Kagome huffed as she folded her arms across her chest.

"No. You merely have a terrible sense of direction."

* * *

"I'm so sorry, Nishida-sensei! It's all my fault! I should have kept a better eye on her."

Sesshoumaru inclined his head as the young nurse bowed deeply in front of him. Slowly, she lowered Aya to the ground until she was able to jump off his back. The girl ran forward and wrapped her arms around the nurse's waist.

"I'm sorry I made you worry, Kimiko-nee-chan. I won't do it again," she said as she placed a kiss on the young woman's cheek.

"It's okay. Let's get you inside, all right?"

"Okay, but first I have to do something!" Aya let go of her nurse and ran towards Kagome to give her a hug. "Kagome-nee-chan, you'll come to visit me, right?"

The woman squeezed the girl tight and smiled, "Of course, I will. Maybe we'll play a game. Would you like that?" Kagome pulled back and Aya nodded, a bright smile on her face.

"Aya, let's go now!" the nurse called.

The girl released Kagome, took a step back and waved, "Bye Kagome-nee-chan!" Then she turned to look up at the tall silver-haired doctor standing not too far away, "Bye, Nishida-sensei!" With that, the girl ran off between two doors and disappeared at a corner.

Kagome stood and wrapped her arms around herself. "Why does... it feel like that's going to be the last time I'll see that girl..." She turned and looked up at Sesshoumaru.

Something flashed in the depths of his amber eyes before he turned to look down at her. "Let's go. I believe you still have an appointment with me," he said before he turned and began to walk away.

Kagome didn't move from her spot. As she watched him walk away, a question burned inside her. "Sesshoumaru," she began in a barely inaudible whisper, "What happened to Rin?"

He stopped but did not turn around. He turned his head slightly and said, "I could not save her."

* * *

**End Note: **The only fate that is certain in life, is that eventually, it must all come to an end.

**PLZ REVIEW**


	7. Breathe

**Heartbeats  
****By Rikayu**

**Chapter Seven: Breathe**

The rich, roasted smell of coffee permeated his senses as Sesshoumaru slowly brought a cup of the brown liquid to his lips. The demon preferred tea, but the old man, Fujioka, had a rare brilliance with coffee, and Sesshoumaru could never pass up the opportunity for another cup. And so, like most days, he sat there in the cafe at two in the morning, a book and a cup of coffee in front of him.

"Nishida-sensei, would you like some more?"

Sesshoumaru looked up at the old man who stood next to his table. He held a small pot of coffee, but the demon shook his head slightly. "That is quite fine, Fujioka-san."

"Oh, well, if you need anything, I'm just behind the counter," old man Fujioka smiled, then he looked up and pointed at the window. "Why, isn't that Kagome-san over there on the other side of the street."

The inuyoukai turned his head and indeed, there was Kagome walking down the street by herself. "It's dangerous for a woman to be out by herself this late," Fujioka said behind him.

* * *

Kagome shivered as a cold breeze blew through the area. She pulled her jacket tighter around her and tucked stray strands of her hair behind her ear. She turned a corner and went into a light jog until she stopped in front of the stone stairs that led to the higurashi Shrine. She let out a sigh and began heading up the stairs, putting one foot in front of the other as she counted the steps she passed. When she reached the top, Kagome took a moment to take in the familiar surroundings of the shrine before releasing a deep breathe and heading through a small gate at the site of the main shrine building.

A soft smile graced her face as she entered a small, grassy courtyard. She walked over to a cabinet resting againt the wall and opened the lock with a key she took out of her pocket. She set the key on the shelf before stepping back and walking onto one side of the courtyard, a bow in her hand and a quiver or arrows slung over her shoulder. At the opposite end of the courtyard was a target.

Slowly, the girl held the arrow in its place against the bow and she pulled the string. Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. As she opened her eyes, she released the arrow, and with a small thud, the arrow hit the target, grazing the outside line of the bull's eye.

After another deep breathe, Kagome fired again, hitting next to the previous arrow and farther from the center than before. She lowered her bow and walked to the target, giving the arrowa hard tug until it popped off the target. A sigh escaped her lips and she put the arrow back into the quiver on her shoulder. _'Why can't I hit center?' _As she pulled out the other arrow, the hairs on the back of her neck stood and her whole body tensed as something rubbed against her legs.

"Buyo!"

The fat cat gave a lazy meow and paused look up at her. Then it rubbed its head against the side of her calf before laying down under the target. Kagome gave a soft giggle and was about to turn until a strange feeling surged through her body.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe, mot moving from her position. Then in one swift move, Kagome turned, firing the arrow she'd pulled from the target. As the projectile flew across the moonlit courtyard, Kagome's eyes widened.

At the opposite end of the courtyard, stood Sesshoumaru. Kagome was going to shout out his name but everything moved in slow motion. Then suddenly, the former demon lord raised his hand and caught the arrow clean in between two fingers, just as he did the very first time she shot an arrow at him inside Inu no Taisho's grave.

"S-sesshoumaru?"

"I believe this is yours," the silver-haired youkai walked towards her and held out the arrow.

Kagome reached out and as her fingers wrapped around her arrow, she noticed that Sesshoumaru's nails had elongated to sharp points and the markings on his wrist were clearly visible. She looked up and saw as the demon's stripes on his cheekbones and the moon on his forehead appeared, and his ears elongated to elvish points. It was strange to see him in modern clothes when his markings showed him for who he was.

"Your markings and your ears. Your nails too... They're showing," she pointed out.

"A reaction to the powers you infused into the arrow," Sesshoumaru explained. "You tried to purify me."

"I'm sorry! I panicked! I didn't know it was you!" She paused and then looked up at the demon suspiciously, "Wait a minute. Why are you here? Were you following me or something?"

"Fujioka saw you walking alone and insisted that I keep an eye on you. It is dangerous at this time of night."

Kagome crossed her arms. "I can take care of myself, thank you. I only came her cause I couldn't get some sleep. I pratice my archery to clear my mind."

"Your aim needs improvement."

"Hey! It's not like I go fighting demons everyday anymore! I'm out of practice!" then Kagome's gave a lopsided smile, "And besides, I wasn't very good at it to begin with."

"Hn."

Sesshoumaru took a step towards her and grabbed the bow from her grasp. He then picked an arrow from the quiver and walked to the end of the courtyard. Kagome followed behind him and watched as the dog demon notched the arrow in place and then released. The arrow hit dead center.

"Your grip loosens when you release your arrow. Straighten your arm and hold the arrow closer to your chin," he said as he turned his gold eyes towards her, the wind slightly ruffling his bangs.

Kagome blinked as she nodded silently, and realized she'd been holding her breath the whole time.

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	8. Rain

**Heartbeats  
by Rikayu**

**Chapter Eight: Rain**

Kagome frowned as a shiver crawled slowly up her spine. The woman watched as the rain poured down from the sky harder, her hands pressed to glass blotted with fog in front of her. She felt the person behind her shift uncomfortably and only then did she realize how incredibly tiny the phone booth actually was.

She turned around as best she could within the confined space and looked up apologetically at the man standing behind her. "Sorry," she tried to laugh, "It seems you got caught in my bad luck today."

"Hn," was his only reply as he looked out into the wet street. He watched silently as people ran past them, trying find cover, using newspapers, bags, whatever they had in their hands as a shield above their heads in a failed attempt at keeping dry.

Kagome sighed. Her whole day had been a complete mess, starting from the very moment she woke up. As her alarm clock rung earlier that morning, the young woman had unceremoniously fallen from her bed to the hard floor of her bedroom. After cursing and successfully detangling herself from her blanket, she'd realized that her clock had been set thirty minutes too late. So, Kagome'd rushed through her usual morning routine, slipping in the bathroom and tripping over her own feet. In her rush to get the university she taught at, she'd taken her purse but forgot to bring along the briefcase that held her lecture notes and only realized so when she stepped through her classroom door.

During the allotted time between her classes, Kagome made her way back to her condo building, almost getting run over by a few taxis. But, her keys were nowhere to be found in her back and the only spare was with Souta. Then when she dialed her younger brother's number on her cellphone in order to retrieve the spare key, the useless piece of technology beeped once and flashed a 'recharge battery' notice before the screen went blank. With her plan for the day ruined and with nothing to do to improve the situation, the woman dismissed her classes early and decided to spend the rest of the day at Fujioka's café. It was on the way that she bumped into Sesshoumaru, but after a short greeting, thunder cracked through the air and the sky darkened before the clouds began to rain cats and poodles.

"Hey, the café's right there," Kagome pointed outside the booth. "Do you think we should just make a run for it?" At the rate the weather was going, she and the inuyoukai could be stuck in the booth for more than just a couple extra minutes.

The former Lord of the West shifted again, his chest pressed against her Kagome's back despite their efforts to not touch. Unintentionally, his breath grazed against the woman's ear as he gave his answer. "It is not that your presence is unwanted, miko. But I do not find conversation in a telephone booth appealing."

Kagome shivered again as Sesshoumaru's hot breath hit the skin of her ear. She shook her head mentally and took a deep breath. "All right then," she started as she placed her hand on the latch of the booth's door. "On three… One… Two… Three!"

The phone booth's door swung open and the two ran forward, the rain beating against their backs. As they neared the sidewalk, Kagome slipped and fell backwards. Immediately, Sesshoumaru's arms caught her around the waist and in less than a moment, they'd reached the café's door. Kagome swung the door open, she and Sesshoumaru dripping puddles onto the wooden floor.

"Oh my," old man Fujioka blinked from behind his counter. "Wait right there, you two. I'll go fetch some towels I have up back," he ordered before he disappeared into a swinging door.

Kagome shrugged off her jacket and hung it on the rack next to the cafe's entrance before she looked up at Sesshoumaru. "Hey thanks for catching--"

A small giggle escaped between her lips as she looked up as the demon. He looked like a wet dog, probably because she knew what he was. His silvery bangs were dripping as he was taking off his jacket, and as he turned to her, his glasses slowly began to fog up from the warmth of the room.

Kagome laughed a little more, reached up and slid the spectacles off Sesshoumaru's face, the demon blinking as his vision instantly cleared. "Let me get that for you," she offered as she began to wipe the lenses free from the mist that clung to them. After a moment, she raised them up in front of his face, clear and clean. But as she was about to put them back where she's taken them, Kagome paused.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"It's just, it's been a while since I've seen you without them," Kagome smiled as she motioned at his glasses. "They suit you, but I think I prefer you without them."

"Hn."

"Here you are!"

Fujioka walked up to the two and handed them each a towel. "Just take a seat and I'll get you two some nice, hot coffee."

They bowed and gave their thanks to the old man. Kagome walked over to their usual table as soon as Fujioka had disappeared into the back of the café, humming an off-beat tune as she did. Sesshoumaru watched as the girl sat down and waved at him to follow before silently tucking his glasses into his pocket.

* * *

**End Note: **I need more creativity when it comes to my titles. Anyway, I really liked how this chapter went.

**PLZ REVIEW**


	9. Gone to the Dogs

**Heartbeats  
by Rikayu**

**Chapter Nine: Gone to the Dogs**

He had the urge to roll his eyes but he merely stared indifferently at the sputtering woman in front of him. She was sitting cross-legged on the green grass with a look on her face of utter disbelief which only emphasized how truly large her cerulean blue eyes were. Then a tiny tug on his pant leg brought his attention to the brown ball of fur situated at his feet.

"Your… That's _your_ dog?" he heard the young woman ask, bewildered, as he slowly squatted down.

Sesshoumaru let his pale hand run through the canine's soft fur before stopping to scratch behind a floppy ear. The puppy wagged its tail happily and licked the youkai's fingers affectionately. As its owner withdrew his hand, the dog barked once and ran in a circle around the tall man before approaching the baffled young woman sitting on the ground.

The inuyoukai straightened and buried his hands lightly into his pockets. He'd taken the dog earlier that morning to the vet for a scheduled check-up then decided to head to the park to let it run around. But, just as the first day he'd brought it back to his apartment after finding it in an empty alley, the dog ran off, curiously sniffing everywhere and trying to fit itself into every corner it found. It was then, as an unsuspecting Kagome was taking a stroll across the large, grassy lawn of the park that the pup dashed in between her legs and caused the miko to lose her balance and fall to the ground.

Laughter from the said woman reached Sesshoumaru's ears as the puppy licked the girl's face. He watched as she tried to restrain the dog before looking up at him, a grin on her face.

"What her name?" Kagome asked as the dog tried to once more, lick her face.

Sesshoumaru bent down in front of the miko and brushed his hand over the puppy's head. It looked up at him with bright brown eyes and barked as it wagged its tail with ferver. As the dog picked at his fingers, he looked up at Kagome. "Aya," he said.

Kagome's eyes widened slightly then softened as she looked down at the dog. "It suits her," she said quietly as she stroked Aya's brown fur and a breeze blew through the lawn, silver strands of hair from the man next to her blowing against her bared arm. Then she looked back up at Sesshoumaru and tilted her head as she had a tendency to do, "How long have you had her?"

"Two weeks. She is the youngest of the others."

The young woman stood and brushed the dirt and grass off her jeans. The dog jumped out of her lap and began to run around her silver-haired owner with what seemed like an over-abundance of energy. As she adjusted the strap of her yellow tank top, she looked at Sesshoumaru with furrowed eyebrows.

"Others?"

* * *

Kagome blinked. Her mouth was slightly agape as she slowly stepped in and marveled at the pristine white walls and impeccably arranged decor. Sesshoumaru motioned for her to follow him and he led her into his living room. Tthe girl's eyes immediately drew themselves to one side of the room where the entire wall was a window that oversaw the Tokyo cityscape. Then as Sesshoumaru disappeared into another room, the young woman let her eyes explore the rest of the room, from the plants that hung at the corners of the room, to the organized bookshelves, to the white sofas where two larger dogs than Aya had settled themselves on. Aya sat at the left end of the sofa, laying her head on a small, red throw pillow. The one in the center was a short haired light brown dog with sparkling brown eyes the same as Aya. The last dog, the one that sat at the opposite end of the sofa, had long, wispy grey fur and stormy slate eyes and seemed to be the oldest one of the three canines. 'Well, maybe not the oldest...' Kagome laughed quietly as she mused about the former demon lord.

Then, barking and the sound of paws stepping against a wooden floor echoed almost silently in the room as the three dogs shifted their attention towards her and jumped down from the sofa, trotting rather briskly towards her. Kagome stepped back and braced herself as the dogs began to attack her with licks and tail wags. The girl fell back into an armchair as Aya jumped onto her lap and began to lick her face once more. When Sesshoumaru re-entered the room with a tray that held two cups of tea, the dogs ran joyfully to their master before once more running back to their new object of interest.

"They seem to like you," he pointed out.

"Oh, you think?" Kagome remarked sarcastically as she stood up from the arm chair. As the girl watched the dogs race towards her, one thought couldn't help but cross her mind and she grimaced: She was in a dog house.

* * *

**End Note:** I just couldn't help it. :D I have a big soft spot for dogs.

**PLZ REVIEW**


	10. Midnight

**Heartbeats  
by Rikayu**

**Chapter Ten: Midnight**

He tried to convince himself that he didn't mind. The papers strewn all across the living room floor, he calmly ignored. The dog food, flour, and cake batter scattered all over the kitchen remained overlooked, as were the dishes soaking in the sink. His white dress shirt was wrinkled and unbuttoned to reveal the wifebeater he wore underneath. He ran a clawed hand through his bangs and flicked his eyes down to the woman lying on the carpeted floor next to him.

Her blue eyes flashed up at him brilliantly, the sides of her eyes squinting slightly and her hand covering her mouth. He could tell she was trying her hardest not to laugh, but she failed miserably as a small giggle escaped from her lips behind her hand. She rolled around to rest on her stomach and stretched her neck a little to look up at him, her dark hair falling over her shoulders.

He'd left the girl in charge of his home for the last two weeks so that he could attend a conference at a university in Kyoto where he had been asked to be a guest speaker. He hadn't intended to find his condo a complete mess with the miko he entrusted with his home, sitting in the middle of his living room floor waiting for him. Despite the chaos around her, the woman smiled good-naturedly, the dogs he'd been caring for sitting all around her and not immediately running towards him as they usually did. As he was about to ask just what happened, the girl moved and revealed a cake that looked obviously homemade with a single lit candle placed in the middle.

Sesshoumaru let out a curt sigh, the sides of his lips twitching as he remembered the girl trying to coax him into eating her sugary concoction, promising that she hadn't poisoned it at all. After tasting what seemed to be the most sugar-abundant thing he'd ever tasted, the young woman pulled out the rest of the food she'd prepared for his homecoming before pulling out another bottle and informing him of another event worth recognizing.

"I believe," he heard her start, as he watch glance out at the night sky, a little smirk on her lips, "This is the first time after seven years that I've spent my birthday with anyone."

Kagome turned to look back up at the dog demon before she pushed herself up onto her knees and stretched her arms over her head. She relaxed and sat on her legs and let a lazy smile cross her mouth as she closed her eyes and hummed out a made-up tune. Slowly, she opened her eyes and her hands went to the sake bottle next to her companion's leg. She tipped a small amount of the liquid onto the saucers they'd been drinking out of and picked them up, giving one to the man in front of her and raising the other in front of her face.

"Kanpai..." she said as a big grin spread across her face. Then she brought the sake to her lips and threw her head back as she let it flow into her mouth.

Sesshoumaru nodded his head and raised his saucer of sake a little before letting the warmth of it flow down his throat. Just as he lowered the saucer from his face, the girl next to him refilled it immediately before drinking yet another one of her shots. The youkai's golden eyes stared at the woman as he downed the sake, watching the redness of her face glow in the moonlight shining through the window.

She turned her eyes towards him and noticed his eyes trained on her. She placed her saucer down and leaned forward, placing her hands down in front of her. Her eyebrows furrowed as she stared intently at him, searching his face for something. Then one of her hands went up and tugged the glasses of the demon before she dropped them on the floor and smiled. "That's better," she said, slurring a little.

The girl did not pull away and for one, Sesshoumaru noticed the sweetness of the miko's scent even as it was laced with the smell of sake. It seemed almost intoxicating as he inhaled the air into his lung. So very intoxicating. And he had the strangest urge to touch her cheek, his hand twitching ever so slightly against the white carpet.

"You know," Kagome said as she tilted her head and trailed her eyes all over his face, "I thought I was the only one left. I was alone. Even with my family... I was alone." She closed her eyes and she let a shaky breath out. "But then, your jerk-face showed up."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her little endearment, but he remained silent. The miko swayed as she let the lids of her eyes fall. She finally leaned away from him and then sat against the large window of the room. The former demon lord watched as shadows played against Kagome's form, the moonlight making her skin glow white and cast a sparkling shine on her raven locks.

Kagome was beautiful.

"Sesshoumaru?"

The demon snapped away from his thoughts and stared into clouded blue eyes. She moved close to him, her hand brushing against his in the smallest of touches. A soft smile appeared on her face and she leaned closer, fluttering her eyes closed. The inuyoukai's eyes widened slighty as she placed a tiny kiss that lingered a bit too long on one of his striped cheeks.

"Thank you," Kagome whispered against his skin, "For showing up."

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	11. Solidity

**Heartbeats  
by Rikayu**

**Chapter Eleven: Solidity**

The silence seemed almost surreal. It didn't belong there; certainly not between them, not anymore.

A shaky breath escaped Kagome's lips as she stared at the man who stood across from her at the other side of her little sanctuary. A gust of wind blew through the silent courtyard and for the first time since she felt his golden eyes following her as she left her grandfather's funeral, she became aware of the intense cold that surrounded her. Her fingertips were freezing and they sat almost lifelessly against the fabric of her black dress covered in white icy flakes. Her skin felt numb, as numb as the feeling building inside her body as she sat there on the ground, imprints on the ground of snow angels surrounding her.

Slowly, the woman stood in an unsteady manner, flakes of white falling from the skirt of her dress, a dark lock of hair slipping over her shoulder as it loosened from her messy bun.. She took a small step forward, her hands outstretched at her sides, as if she was a young toddler learning to walk for the first time. Then as she took another step, her hand reached in front of her, seeking him as her blue eyes flashed almost hauntingly. But she stopped, her fingers trembling as they hung only centimeters away from the front of Sesshoumaru's coat.

He was no longer dressed in the silk kimono which was as white as the snow that covered ground and clearly pronounce his regal status in society. Instead he stood there with a humble black suit and a dark overcoat. His face was, however, unreadable as always, his eyes behind glasses that made no difference in his sight. They were purely aesthetic. The concealment spell he wore had long since fallen to reveal the markings on his face that associated with his lineage.

Even as she'd seen him nearly daily for over a year and a half in a modern world with modern clothes, the image of him clad in armor and brandishing his sword with an elegance only he could execute still burned brightly in her mind.

His lips had thinned into a straight line as she stared at him with equal indifference, to the point where her expression was nearly blank. His hair, silvery white and blown around fiercely by the wind, contrasted heavily with the harsh black he wore. As the snow fell onto his shoulders, Kagome let her hand fall to her side and she took a small step back. For a moment, she just stood there, biting her bottom lip as she let her eyes drop to look at the ground. Her knuckles had turned pale as she fisted her hands and grasped at the black fabric of her dress. But as warmth enveloped her shoulders, Kagome snapped her eyes up to watch as Sesshoumaru adjusted his overcoat around her.

"I'm here," he said as he stared into her clouded blue eyes.

Kagome's eyebrows furrowed and her hands came up to her face, shaking. She pressed them to her cheeks as tears she'd tried so hard not to shed began to freely flow down her cheeks. Her uneven breath materialized as a light mist that floated in front of her face, more tears coming almost uncontrollably as the girl bent her head forward and leaned it against Sesshoumaru's chest. She felt him wrap his arms around her, and her heart broke.

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	12. Handwriting

**Heartbeats  
by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twelve:Handwriting**

"Nishida-sensei!"

The silver-haired doctor turned around to see the nurse, Kimiko, running towards him. She almost slid to a stop in front of him, trying to compose herself as she regained her breath. She was a bright young woman, a full-fledged nurse for a year already, but still as clumsily determined as the day she joined the hospital staff.

"This came in for you," the girl smiled as she handed over a small, unmarked envelope. With a polite bow, Kimiko turned and ran back down the hall she'd come from to attend to her duties.

Sesshoumaru place the envelope into the pocket of his white coat and proceeded back on his path to his office. As the demon finall reached his destination, he turned the knob of his door and silently slipped inside, flicking the light on before placing the papers he'd been carrying on the top of his desk. Thankfully, his office remained a sanctuary of sorts, free of the red and pink paper hearts that littered the walls of the rest of the hospital.

A pale hand slipped into his pocket and he pulled out the envelope that had been delivered to him. An extended claw sliced open the end of the envelope and he pulled out a card. It was blank on the outside, a stark white that matched the rest of his pristine office. But as a finger slid under the cover to flip it open, Sesshoumaru's eyes fell on a small read heart that glittered in the sunlight drawn on the center of the card. A sweet scent drifted up to his nostrils as he let his gaze slide over the familiar penmanship below the heart..

"Happy Valentine's Day!" it said.

His thumb ran against the smooth surface of the card and amber his eyes focused intently on the words written unmistakably at the very bottom. "With Love, Kagome."

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	13. Rush

**Heartbeats  
by Rikayu**

**Chapter Thirteen: Rush**

Kagome huffed in annoyance as she bent down and dropped the box she was carrying onto the carpeted floor. She wiped her face with the hand towel that hung around her neck and pushed a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear, a visible frown on her face. She hated moving. But after Souta had moved back to the Higurashi shrine a few months ago, staying in a large, two-room condo was just financially wasteful. So, Kagome found herself a quaint little apartment located near the university she worked at. The place also happened to be close to Fujioka's café, so a hot cup of coffee on a rainy or cold day was never too far away.

The woman turned and looked at the silver-haired man standing at the door of the apartment, two rather large boxes sitting in his arms. Kagome frowned at him and the ease in which he carried the boxes. He hadn't even broken a sweat. "Those go hear," she said as she pointed at the empty space beside her before she walked past him and out the door. She then ran to the end of the hall where there was an open balcony.

"Souta!" she shouted as she looked down from the railing, "Hurry up! We don't have all day!"

Her younger brother looked up, "Come down here and help me then! You have so much crap!"

"Hey! I had to walk up the shrine steps to bring your stuff! Now hurry up!"

Kagome whirled around and walked down the five flights of stairs and helped a fumbling Souta who was struggling to hold up two boxes at the same time as trying to turn the knob of the glass door entrance of the building. As he brother started his way up the stairs, Kagome stepped towards the moving van and grabbed the smaller of the last two boxes. She turned and saw Sesshoumaru standing behind her. She tilted her head to motion at the remaining box at the moving van. "That's the last one," she said before she made her way towards the building's entrance.

The young woman cursed under her breath as she tried to open the door. She let out a frustrated sigh as the afternoon sun hit her back. But as she made a move to kick the door out of her irritation, she felt a hand circled her waist. Suddenly, the wind began rushing down at her as the arm pulled her up.

"Hold on tight," a voice whispered into her ear as silvery white hair swirled all around her. She grasped tightly onto the box she was holding onto and laughed as turned her head slightly to watch Sesshoumaru fly them up higher and higher until they landed safely onto the fifth floor balcony.

A small giggle escaped from Kagome's mouth as she stepped away from the youkai. "Thank you," she said as she gave a small bow a soft grin on her face.

"Hey!"

Kagome turned around and looked at her younger brother who stood at the end of the hall, his face red and sweating as he shifted the boxes in his arms uncomfortably as his eyes widened slightly. "What...? But how...? How did you guys get here so fast?"

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	14. Necessity

**Heartbeats  
by Rikayu**

**Chapter Fourteen: Necessity**

Kagome shifted uncomfortably on the green couch of her small living room. Despite the glowing television that was meant to preoccupy her thoughts, the silence that invaded the surrounding space was too distracting. The woman bit her lip as she stood and walked to her kitchen, pulling the refrigerator door open before she went on to search for something wasnt quite sure what in all the kitchen cabinets.

A small frown grew on her face as Kagome plopped down on the sofa with a huff of annoyance. Her hand searched for the remote control and then she began to swith through the channels. But after a few moments, an irritated sigh escaped her lips and she dropped the remote on the coffee table as she pressed the off button.

The two months of her stay in the apartment had been marked with uncontrolable restlessness. Two months of finally having the peace and quiet she thought would have been much welcomed, turned into Kagome fidgeting and constantly trying to find something to preoccupy herself with when she was alone.

It was lonely.

The girl brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her arms as she listened to the sound of her own breathing. The light drizzle of rain reached her ears and she lifted her head, her eyes staring out the window as the water cascaded down the glass. Slowly, she stood and walked towards her door. She put on her coat and tucked her keys into purse before she headed out the door, an umbrella in her hand.

It did take long until Kagome stepped out into the rain-stained street. Her breath fogged in front of her face as she walked down the sidewalk, occasionally stopping to look through a store window if something interesting caught her eye before she finally stopped in front of a familiar glass door. She leaned forward, her hand on the door handle and entered into the building.

The scent of coffee hit her instantly and she couldn't help but inhale deeply at the lovely smell, a shiver going through her body as the warmth of the room snaked around her. She shrugged off her wet coat and hung it on the coat rack next to the door, placing the umbrella against the nearby wall before she turned.

A pair of golden eyes looked up at her from a book, staring at her behind glasses as she held her breath for the smallest moment. Slowly, a smile spread across Kagome's face and she stepped forward.

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	15. Effervescence

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Fifteen: Effervescence**

A little pressure, a small hiss, and a pop, and the cork eased itself from the mouth of the chilled bottle. After a slight tilt, smooth, sparkling gold flowed down and into a waiting glass. Soon after, another glass followed as tiny bubbles drifted upwards through the liquid and accumulated as a thin layer of foam on top of the sweet gold.

His eyes flickered for a moment, regarding the champagne stoically as the moonlight shine down from the sky. It was of superb quality and had certainly come with an equally superb price. But, he figured that tonight was an appropriate occasion for such an indulgence.

Slowly, he raised a glass to the woman standing at the apartment's living room balcony and waited until her slim fingers wrapped around the champagne flute before he took a step to stand next to her and lean against the balcony railing. Music and laughter could be heard from a few of the apartments about two floors up as people mingled on the balconies to wait for the fireworks show that would soon light up the dark sky. The woman next to him seemed just as excited for the display, keeping her eyes trained constantly at the inky sky.

"You know," he heard her say as he watched the girl bring the rim of the glass close to her lips, "I've never had champagne before."

Little by little, she tipped the glass and took a small sip before bringing the glass away. A smile graced her face and she turned her blue eyes towards him. "Oh, it's delicious!"

Above them, people began to count and as streamers flew down the building, a spray of light washed over face of the building, and the girl turned almost abruptly, as she pointed at the sky like a young child. "Look Sesshoumaru! Isn't it beautiful?"

The demon lifted his eyes to the flashing sky, a variety of colors exploding across the darkness. The whistle and boom of the fireworks combined with cheers, and in the apartments above, he could hear people greet each other happily. Across the street, people hugged each other in celebration, his gaze lingering slightly at the couples who kissed a new year's kiss under the flickering sky. Then, Sesshoumaru turned his eyes towards Kagome who was leaning on the railing next to him, watching silently as she stared up at the sky in amazement. The breeze lightly tossed her hair and wafted her scent towards him, his golden eyes focusing on the way her skin illuminated ethereally underneath the glow of the fireworks.

Slowly, Kagome turned and flashed a brilliant smile up at him, and leaned forward to place a kiss on his cheek. "Happy New Year, Sesshoumaru!"

But at she turned to look back up at the fireworks, the youkai's hand caught her chin and he pressed his lips against her soft cheek. "Happy New Year," he said as he released her and turned away, drinking a sip of his champagne and watching from the corner of his eyes as Kagome's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed a light pink.

* * *

**PLZ REVIEW**


	16. Withdrawal

**Heartbeats  
By Rikayu**

**Chapter Sixteen: Withdrawal**

Three weeks.

It seemed entirely to long to have gone without coffee. The instant blend packs made available to him at hospital he was called to and even the specialty shops not far from the hotel could not match Fujioka's blend by a mile. They were bland and lacked the richness that accompanied good quality brews. These people obviously didn't know what they were doing.

"So you're not coming back yet?"

The few coffee shops he'd found were populated with students who were rowdy and spoke too loud. It irritated his ears as much as how the coffee the shops served disgusted him.

"It seems that my stay must be extended. I apologize for an further inconveniences my absence may cause."

The only salvation from the incredulousness of the situation, it seemed, was the tea he routinely packed in his luggage. It was terribly lacking, but was usually decent enough to divert his addiction away.

"No need to apologize. I don't mind looking after them for a while more. How much longer will you be gone?"

"As much as needed."

The thunder boomed outside the window as water cascaded down the glass in ripples. Soft wisps of steam hovered above the cup in front of him, taunting him with something he did not want.

"Oh okay then. Well, I've got to run now. Just call if anything and I'll see you when you get back. Take care, Sesshoumaru.I miss you alot!"

The other line clicked and the silver-haired youkai flipped his phone closed before pushing it into the pocket of his jacket. For a brief moment, he glanced out the window to the grey-blue clouds that churned and flooded the skies. Strangely, Kagome's cheery voice still lingered in his ears, echoing as if she were still talking to him. He shook his head and without another thought, Sesshoumaru stood and walked over to his hotel room kitchen, dumping the contents of his cup into the sink.

Suddenly, his craving for coffee disappeared. Instead, there was an odd sensation that clung to him as the sweet, feminine voice that whispered in his head refused to disappear. A frown slid onto his lips at the words that replayed in his ears.

_'I miss you alot!'_

* * *

**End Note: **This chapter hadn't quite come out how I wanted. But I suppose it works. :P

**PLS Review**


	17. Homecoming

**Author's Note**: Sorry everyone! The original post on Dokuga was shorter, but I added more to it. I couldn't help but make this chapter longer! I was very unsatisfied with it, but now, I think I like it a lot more.

**Heartbeats  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Seventeen: Homecoming**

Kagome sighed and bent her knees, pressing them against her chest as she sat on the armchair in a corner of the room. She rested her chin on her folded arms that were perched on top of her knees as she stared out at the rain that fell from the sky outside the large window-wall that was one side of Sesshoumaru's flat. A cup of cocoa was set on the glass table next to her, but it remained untouched and had already gone cold after being left alone for so long.

The woman buried her face into the sweater that covered her arms, staring down at the mobile phone that was cradled in her lap. The front display glowed 'December 24, 11:37 pm', and Kagome closed her eyes as another sigh escaped her lips.

Three and a half months without coffee was murder.

She looked up and let her legs hang off the front of the chair. She turned her head to the three dogs lying on the carpet, arranged in one big huddle as they slept unbothered. She hadn't taken them out on a walk recently only because of the cold weather. Then Kagome's eyes drifted down at the lonely cup that sat on the side table next to her. It was hardly enough to satisfy her coffee craving.

Kagome chewed lightly on her bottom lip as she leaned back in the chair. It was Christmas Eve after all. Perhaps one cup wouldn't be so bad.

Without another thought, the woman stood from her seat and grabbed the coat that hung on the armrest. After slipping the brown coat onto her shoulders, she crept out of the apartment quietly and locked the door with a click. Within a few moments, Kagome treaded down the lamp-lit sidewalks and steered herself in the direction of Fujioka's café.

With each step she took forward, her feet shuffled faster. An as she crossed a vacant street, she broke into a run, tiny snowflakes clinging to her unbound hair and the chilly night air numbing skin of her cheeks and neck as she ran. Heart thundered in her ears, beating faster and faster the closer she got to her destination. But as she rounded the corner, golden eyes turned in her direction and Kagome almost felt her heart stop.

Slowly, a smile spread through her lips as she took a step forward.

They walked down the vacant street at an unhurried pace, the sidewalks lit softly by street lamps and the glowing moon that hung up above. The ground was covered in a thin layer of snow that gave a soft crunch with each step as tiny snowflakes fell from the inky sky, covering up the trail of footprints left behind. Neither had said a word since leaving Fujioka-san's coffee shop. Much of the night had been spent with countless cups of coffee, good conversation, and laughter, but now, a strange silence hovered over the two figures that walked through the snow, their shadows dancing across the ground with each street lamp they passed.

It didn't take long until they stood in front of Kagome's apartment building. As Kagome stepped forward onto the stairs leading to the main doorway, she suddenly felt Sesshoumaru's arms encircle her waist and then she quickly found herself soaring up towards the starry sky. Her arms instinctively wrapped themselves around his neck as she watched the fog from their intermingling breath materialize in front of her.

Fluttering strands of silver hair brushed against her cheek as she felt her feet touch down on the floor of her apartment's balcony. She remained still, reluctant to pull away from the warmth of having Sesshoumaru's arms wrapped securely around her. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, but she hadn't noticed, focused on the calm drumming under her fingertips as her hands rested on the former demon lord's chest. A sigh escaped her lips as Kagome felt the tickle of hot breath against her cheek.

"Good night," Kagome said quietly in a barely audible whisper as she pulled away slightly.

She felt her silver-haired companion's arms loosen around her, his fingers gently gliding down from her shoulders to her elbows. It sent bursts of electricity running up and down her spine and Kagome's eyes fluttering closed as she leaned forward ever-so-slightly. "Good night," she heard him say as she felt his lips brush lightly against her forehead.

Then in an almost aching manner, she felt his lips trail down towards her cheek and linger just next to the corner of her mouth. Her lips parted slightly, but as the chill of the night enveloped around her body, her eyes blinked open to see a curtain of silver disappear behind the stone railing of her balcony. With a long sigh, Kagome closed her eyes leaned back against the glass doors leading into her apartment, a hand closed into a loose fist resting over the rapid beating of her heart.

He was back.

Sesshoumaru was back.

And Kagome only felt her heart beat faster.

**PLZ REVIEW**


	18. Exchange

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Heartbeats**  
**By Rikayu**

**Chapter Eighteen: Exchange**

"Kagome-san? Are you all right?"

The warmth at her shoulder shook her out of her little stupor and Kagome looked up at the old man standing next to her table. It was Fujioka with a carafe of coffee in his other hand and a concerned expression on his face.

"You've been staring out the window the whole time you've been here," he sighed. "You haven't even touched your coffee."

Kagome tilted her head forward in a small bow as her hand went to the back of her neck. "I'm sorry, Fujioka-san. I've just had a lot on my mind lately, that's all. I'm fine."

The barista withdrew his hand from her shoulder, a bit skeptical. "You're sure?" he asked as he replaced the cold cup that sat in front of Kagome with a new one.

"I'm fine," she insisted, "There's no need to worry about me… really."

Hesitantly, Fujioka nodded and stepped away. A chime at the doors prompted him to tend to the pair of customers who'd just entered the coffeehouse, and without another word, the old man walked off and slid behind his counter.

Kagome sighed and turned to the coffee cup in front of her. She hooked a finger through the porcelain handle and slowly pulled the coffee cup closer to her. She watched as tiny wisps of steam floated up from the dark brew, her reflection on the surface of the liquid looking back up at her.

She'd gone to visit her mother and brother at their family shrine earlier that day. They swapped presents and had their Christmas cake as was their tradition. Then, after leaving the shrine, Kagome headed straight for Fujioka's and presented her gift to the old barista, a new black apron with the name of the coffee shop embroidered on the bottom. One last gift still remained in her bag, intended for Sesshoumaru.

Kagome shook her head and let out another sigh. She wasn't even quite sure if he had really returned from his extended stay in Kyoto, if the moonlit visit she'd received the night before was real or just her mind playing tricks on her. And yet, she couldn't help but let her hand go up to touch her cheek as she remembered the feeling of the taiyoukai's lips burning warmth against her skin.

'_He seemed real enough…'_

Then as if on cue, a tapping noise caught her attention. Kagome turned and her eyes widened. Outside the window was Sesshoumaru, leaning down close to the window and looking straight at her. Kagome opened her mouth to say something when he tapped again on the glass, bringing her attention to something he had written on the light mist that had formed towards the bottom of the window.

_Merry Christmas_.

A bright smile spread across Kagome's face, and she quickly grabbed a pen from her bag and scribbled 'Merry Christmas' onto a napkin then held it up against the window. She watched as the corners of the taiyoukai's mouth twitched up slightly.

_Walk with me_, he wrote on the window.

Kagome scrambled out of her seat, hurriedly leaving a tip next to her coffee cup. She ran out of the cafe but after taking a few steps down the sidewalk, skidded to a stop and turned, cursing as she ran back. Fujioka was already standing outside the shop, waiting for her to come back with her bag and coat in his hands. With a small bow of thanks, Kagome retrieved her bag and slipped on her coat before waving goodbye to the old man.

As she came closer to the corner of the street, Kagome slowed in her footsteps until she came to a complete stop. Her eyes darted around her, searching for silvery hair as she gradually calmed her breathing. '_Where is he?_'

The wind blew fiercely against her, blowing her hair around her face as she hugged her coat tighter around her body. A shiver ran down her spine and she tucked the collar of her coat closer to her face. But as she turned to continue walking down the street, warmth suddenly enveloped the back of her neck and she turned.

"Forgetful as always."

Golden eyes behind sleek glasses flashed with mild amusement as Kagome felt her face start to flush red. Soft fabric brushed against her cheek and she tore her eyes away to look at the red scarf that was wrapped snugly around her neck.

"My gift… for you," Sesshoumaru said as he tugged on the end of the scarf and brushed away some the snowflakes sticking to her hair.

A soft smile graced Kagome's lips. Her hand slipped into her bag and pulled out a dark blue scarf that was neatly folded and tied with a simple white ribbon. Carefully, she pulled the knot of the ribbon free and unfolded the scarf. Then, in much the same manner as he had done to her, Kagome tip-toed and secured her present around the taiyoukai's neck.

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and Kagome simple beamed up at him.

"My gift… for you."

* * *

**End Note:** _I fixed myself some coffee and realized I missed Fujioka. I left him out of ten chapters. Also, this chapter took the longest time to write…_


	19. Confection

******Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Heartbeats  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Nineteen: Confection**

Cream curtains covered the windows and a 'closed' sign hung against the glass door. Soft lights gleamed over the polished wood of the coffee bar while the rest of the café was dimmed into darkness.

Sesshoumaru watched silently from behind the counter with Fujioka standing next to him, as Kagome's eyes fluttered closed and her hands clasped tightly in front of her chest. With a deep breath, she opened her eyes and blew out the single candle standing in the very center of the cake in front of her. Then, Kagome looked up, beaming one of her brilliant smiles at them.

When the cake was cut and gifts were presented, Sesshoumaru waited patiently for the woman's judgment on the cake he'd spent most of the day perfecting. The recipe had been provided by Fujioka, the old barista even providing the café's kitchen for his use.

"This is _delicious_!" Kagome exclaimed, glaring mockingly at him. "All these years and you never told me you could bake!"

"It is a recent development," Sesshoumaru stated, bringing a piece of cake to his mouth. Then as he swallowed, a small giggle came from the birthday girl and a brow quirked.

"Icing… on your mouth," she pointed out, laughing a little more when the taiyoukai reached up with a napkin and wiped the wrong side of his mouth.

"Here, let me get it for you," she said as reached over the counter and wiped the white icing from the left corner of his lips. She promptly licked the sugary substance from the tip of her finger before returning her attention to her plate.

Sesshoumaru let his eyes linger on Kagome's lips for a moment before a knowing chuckle and a pat on the shoulder from Fujioka brought his attention away and back to his plate.

* * *

**End Note**: _Done for the Weekly Perfection challenge on dokuga_contest. Originally posted on May 09, 2010. Prompt: Lick. Word Length: 300_


	20. Dazzle

******Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Heartbeats  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty: Dazzle**

The sound of thunder echoed throughout the room as the rain pelted against the large glass wall. Moonlight filtered through the sheer white curtains and cascading shadows swept across the carpet. What was left of the birthday cake was placed in a small pastry box and sat on the floor next to empty sake bottles.

Sesshoumaru heard the woman standing next to him sigh and he looked up at her from his seat on the floor as she peeked through the curtains at the churning clouds that were starting to invade the night sky. Then after pulling the curtains back into place, she plopped down on the floor and leaned back against the glass. She drew her knees up to her chest with her arms resting lazily on top of them, and smiled, "You know, I still haven't thanked you yet…"

"You did."

"No," Kagome shook her head, the light flush on her cheeks from the sake darkening into a deeper shade of red. "I thanked you for the cake, but I still haven't thanked you _properly_."

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow at her, and he inquired, "For what?"

Slowly, Kagome turned her body to face him and moved to sit on her legs, her eyes focused on his face. Her hands reached forward and took his glasses from him then placed them on the space of carpet next to her.

"For surprising me," she explained, "You're always surprising me." With a small giggle, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a tight embrace.

"Thank you," she whispered before pressing a lingering kiss to the stripes on his cheek.

Sesshoumaru remained silent as she pulled away and he wondered if Kagome knew just how much _she_ always surprised him.

Then as Kagome moved to stand, his hand shot out and wrapped itself around her wrist, keeping her close. He stared down at her, starting to think that maybe the sake was beginning to cloud his imagination as he watched a dazzling smile spread across her lips, his heart beating loudly in his chest. He felt her reach up to tuck the stray silver locks that had fallen over his shoulder behind his ear. Then when her hand brushed against his cheek in a warm caress, he let all rational thought fly out the window and leaned forward to close the distance between them.

* * *

**End Note**: _Done for the Weekly Perfection challenge on dokuga_contest. Originally posted on May 11, 2010. Prompt: Cloud. Word Length: 400. _


	21. Temperature

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Temperature**

"Nishida-sensei?"

The silver-haired doctor didn't seem to be paying attention, his golden eyes focused on only the rain cascading down the outside of the window. Both the coffee and plate of pancakes set on the table were untouched, and if Fujioka remembered correctly, he had placed those there a good two hours past.

He sighed and shook his head, stepping forward and giving the oblivious man a shake on the shoulder. "Nishida-sensei?"

Sesshoumaru broke out of his stupor and turned his head to look up at Fujioka. "Fujioka-san," he acknowledged, "Is there something the matter?"

The old man chuckled, "I could ask the same of you. You've been staring out the window since you got here."

"..."

Fujioka sigh again then gestured at the food in front of him. "Well, then… would you like me to get you a new plate?" he asked.

Sesshoumaru shook his head, "There's no need, Fujioka-san. I will be leaving now."

"I see. I'll be taking them now then," Fujioka said as he cleared the table before making his way to the kitchen.

Sesshoumaru stood from his table, placing his notepad and pen back into his dark, leather messenger bag. He slipped into his coat and retrieved his umbrella from the umbrella rack by the café's door. As he walked over to the counter to pay for his meal, Fujioka waved him off. "Don't worry about it," the old man insisted. "You go take it easy, and give my regards to Kagome-san if you see her. She hasn't come in here for the last few days."

The taiyoukai paused at the sound of the woman's name as he placed his hand on the handle of the door. He gave a curt nod to the barista before he pushed open the door and raised his opened umbrella over his head as he began walking down the street.

* * *

_"Hey, this is Kagome! I can't come to the phone right now, so leave your name and number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"_

His mouth thinned into a straight line as a beep sounded after the short voice message. He flipped his phone closed and slid it back into his front pocket as he looked up at the brick building across the street.

The voice mail recording was as much as he heard from the woman in over three days. On the night of her birthday, right after he had kissed her, she had hastily excused herself left his apartment. Her reaction then, and now her avoidance of even the coffee shop had made him want to bang his head repeatedly against a wall and somehow take back his actions. _'It was a mistake.'_

He took in a deep breath and tightened his grip on the handle of his umbrella. After promptly looking to see for any oncoming vehicle, Sesshoumaru made his way across the street and to the steps of the apartment building. He stopped right in front of the wooden doors and closed his umbrella, shaking off the water droplets before he entered.

The inside of the building was completely silent except for the sound of creaking wood as he made his way up the stairs. After ascending five flights, he finally stopped in front of a familiar door, his gaze staring at the golden letters hanging just a few inches above the eyehole. He raised his fist and knocked against the door three times.

No answer.

Sesshoumaru knocked again, this time louder, but after waiting for a few moments, the corners of his lips angled down into a frown. He knew she was there by the sweet scent that wafted up at him from the crack under the door. But it was clear that she didn't want to see him.

Almost hesitantly, he turned, making his way back to leave. But as he took a step down the first step, the faint sound of a woman coughing reached his ears and he turned his head to look back at the door. He paused, listening closely to the silence until the he heard the coughing start again. It didn't sound very good.

He quickly walked back up and reached his hand to the top of the door frame. He smoothed his hand over towards the top right corner of the frame and pulled out the spare key that was taped there. He unlocked the door and stepped in, closing the door behind him, his eyes scanning around the room. Then without even bothering to slip out of his shoes, Sesshoumaru cut through the living room and into a small hall before halting to a stop in front of a white door. Quietly, he turned the door knob and pressed forward.

There on the bed was Kagome, sleeping with her back face towards him. From his place at the threshold, he could clearly hear as the woman released several raspy coughs. And even with the multiple blankets piled on top of her, he could see her shivering.

He quickly stepped around the bed and sat on its edge, leaning forward and brushing away the dark bangs that hid Kagome's face before he pressed the palm of his hand against the skin of her forehead.

She had a fever.

The frown on Sesshoumaru's face deepened and cursed inwardly as he remembered how the rain began pouring hard when she'd run out of his apartment on the night he kissed her. The guilt started eating away at him even more.

He shook his head, frustrated with himself as he straightened and stood. He quickly exited the room and headed for the kitchen, retrieving a large plastic bowl from a cabinet and filling it halfway with cold tap water. He grabbed two small hand towels and a thick, white blanket from the linen closet in the hallway before walking back into Kagome's bedroom.

After he set the bowl and towels on the bedside table, he replaced the blankets covering Kagome's body with the one he brought with him, wrapping the blanket snuggly around the sick woman. He pulled the chair by the desk on the opposite side of the room and placed it next to the bed. After shrugging off his coat and hanging it on the back of the chair, Sesshoumaru sat down and dipped one of the towels into the water, letting it soak for a few seconds before wringing out the excess water. Then he turned to Kagome, swept her bangs away from her face, and was about to place the damp cloth on her forehead when he noticed a pair of blue-grey eyes drowsily staring up at him, and he froze.

He watched as her eyes widened and she slowly tried to sit up in her bed. "W-what…" she started but the pain in her throat didn't allow her continue her sentence and she coughed hard, her hand covering her mouth as she sank back down onto her pillow.

The taiyoukai shook his head and adjusted the blanket up to her shoulders. "Rest," he ordered her.

Kagome nodded as she let him wipe away the sweat from her face with a dry cloth. Then, he wrung the towel inside the bowl on her bedside table before he placed it on her forehead. The cool sensation against her skin was soothing and she suddenly felt very sleepy.

"I will be back," Sesshoumaru said as he stood, but Kagome's hand slid out from under the blanket and she tugged on his fingers, keeping him from moving away.

"Please stay…" she asked of him quietly, her fever-flushed face reddening slightly even as her eyes began to gradually droop closed.

After a brief pause, Sesshoumaru lowered back onto his chair. He took off his glasses and set them down next to the lampshade, the ends of his lips twitching up as his amber eyes lingered on Kagome's hand that still grasped his.

* * *

**End Note**: _Done for the One-shot challenge on dokuga_contest. Originally posted on May 13, 2010. Prompt: Skin. Word Length: 1,317_


	22. Hands

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Hands**

A small smile spread across his lips as he watched the slim, black clock-hand tick quickly past twelve. His eyes then drifted down from the clock hanging on the wall to the porcelain cups in front of him. With skill clearly mastered over many years of practice, Fujioka tipped the small metal pitcher he was holding, pouring a thin stream of milk into one of the white demitasse. After a brief moment, he straightened the pitcher, leaving a heart shape of foam floating on the shot of espresso. After repeating the process on the remaining cup, the barista slowly picked up both cups and placed them onto a black serving tray.

Then as he turned with tray in hand, the chimes that hung over the entrance sounded. Automatically, he bent forward slightly, careful not to spill the tray in his hands. "Welcome!" he greeted.

"Good morning, Fujioka-san!"

He looked up and straightened to see Kagome waving at him as she stood on the other side of the coffee bar. Standing next to her was Sesshoumaru, who inclined his head and also said a polite greeting.

The old barista then turned to walk out from behind the coffee bar. But as he followed behind the two as they made their way to their usual seats, his eyes drifted down and he couldn't help but notice the way Sesshoumaru and Kagome laced their hands together.

Fujioka let out a tiny chuckle as he shook his head good-naturedly. '_Well, I'll be damned… Took them long enough!_'

* * *

**End Note**: _I wrote this a while ago, but kept forgetting to post it. ._


	23. Initiative

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Initiative**

For a moment, it felt as if she was back in high school, standing outside her house after a first date, fiddling with her hands behind her back like a nervous but smitten schoolgirl, and waiting for her date to finally kiss her.

But she knew Sesshoumaru wouldn't.

Kagome mentally kicked herself, remembering how she'd abruptly left his apartment, shocked after he kissed her unexpectedly weeks ago on her birthday. She felt guilty for reacting the way she did. And she knew he still felt guilty about it from how he seemed to purposely ignore every chance she'd given him to kiss her for the last month.

"Goodnight, Kagome," she heard the taiyoukai say.

She looked up to see him incline his head to her before he made his way down the stairs from her apartment building. Kagome closed her eyes briefly, taking a deep breath as she gathered up her nerves.

"W-wait!" she called.

Sesshoumaru halted at the bottom of the cement steps and turned around to look up at Kagome, who hurriedly rushed down to him, her eyebrows furrowed slightly and her cheeks a rosy pink. But before he could ask her what was wrong, Kagome boldly leaned forward and pressed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. She lingered for a moment before finally pulling away.

"Good night, Sesshoumaru,"Kagome blushed before quickly running back up the stairs and leaving Sesshoumaru with his mouth hung slightly open in surprise.

Slowly, his lips arched into a small smile and he turned to walk home.

* * *

**End Note**: _Okay, originally, this was for Weekly Perfection over at dokuga_contest for the latest prompt, but I messed up on the word count, thinking it was 200 when it's actually 100, so I went and deleted the entry (Special thanks to sophie310 on LJ for letting me know!) Oh well, least my little mess up gave me an opportunity to change some stuff, add in more, and post it right away :D_


	24. Blackout

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Blackout**

It was as expected.

He was impenetrable; intently focused on the situation at hand. He had remained unrelenting and steadfast in his endeavor, calculating each move carefully and surely. The only movement he'd made in the last half-hour was to adjust the spectacles that sat on the bridge of his nose.

A small breath escaped Kagome's lips and she watched Sesshoumaru over the fingers resting lazily against her nose, her chin resting comfortably in the palm of her hand. She kept her blue-grey eyes fixed on him, observing him as shadows cast by the rain that cascaded down glass danced over silver hair and pale skin that still seemed to glow in the darkness of the room.

The light patter of the rain outside the window was ignored and considered insignificant. The sudden flash of lightning shook the world outside but both she and her opponent remained unmoving. Even the sweet aroma of coffee remained disregarded.

Kagome's gaze then slowly trailed down to long fingers that hovered only inches above the table. In one smooth motion, Sesshoumaru picked up the white game piece that sat in a corner of the chess board and moved diagonally across a chain of squares.

"Check."

Kagome released another shaky breath as thunder rolled through the sky over the blackened city. For a moment, a shiver ran through her body as another flash filled the room with white before it darkened to a steady, ever-darkening grey. She could hear Fujioka stumbling around somewhere in the dark kitchen, cursing about crows and cable lines.

Then as the falling rain poured louder, Sesshoumaru looked up at her with his eyebrows suddenly furrowed, watching her closely as the corners of her lips twitched. Kagome extended out her index finger and pushed the lonely black piece in front of her forward. After a moment, the woman lifted her head to look at the youkai across the table and smiled innocently.

"Checkmate."

* * *

**End Note**: _The last time I was in Japan, I remember seeing these big, scary crows that would dig through trash and sit on cable wires. They're known for causing power outages. Also, I always used to play chess with my older brother when the power would go out during storms :)_


	25. Inevitability

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

**

* * *

**

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Inevitability**

As a doctor, it was normal that Sesshoumaru would sometimes return to his flat many hours after his shift was supposed to end. He lived very close to the hospital and was on twenty-four hour call, after all. And for someone so "young", he was quite the respected doctor and praised very much by his superiors.

Of course, unbeknownst to them, Sesshoumaru had been a doctor for a good century and a half already. It certainly was something Kagome never would have imagined hearing from someone who had previously tried to kill her without any hesitation. Over the years, he told her that he'd spent most of his time travelling all around the world under different aliases, driven to learn more about the practice and help as many people as he could along the way. But no matter how trained he was and how many people he helped, it was inevitable that he wasn't able to help everyone.

Kagome turned to look at him as he leaned back against the large window that lined one side of his living room. Sesshoumaru was still dressed in what he wore the day before, black pants, a light blue shirt that was now slightly disheveled and unbuttoned down the collar, and a black tie hanging loosely around his neck. Behind him through the glass, the sun was just started to peek from behind city buildings as it rose into the morning sky.

Quietly, she walked up to him and looked at the squirming bundle in his arms. Slowly, she reached her hand forward and ran her fingers through the soft mane of the black puppy in Sesshoumaru's arms. It began to affectionately nibble on the tip of her finger as a sad smile graced her face and Sesshoumaru leaned his forehead against hers.

* * *

**End Note**: _____Done for the Weekly Perfection challenge on dokuga_contest. Originally posted on August 07, 2010. Prompt: Driven. Word Length: 300_


	26. Remedy

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Remedy**

Kagome let out a frustrated sigh as she looked out at the rain. _'Oh, you've got to be kidding me!'_

She leaned against the brick pillar, trying to squash the urge to pull at her hair. After having such a stressful day, the last thing she needed was for an unexpected downpour to strand her at the university and make her late for her date with Sesshoumaru. She'd been looking forward to it all week, especially because he'd been so busy at the hospital recently.

"I hope you're not planning to just stand there. We have reservations at seven."

Kagome turned her head to see her boyfriend standing beside her with an umbrella in hand. She smiled.

It wasn't quite a perfect day, but Sesshoumaru had a knack for making things better.


	27. Touch

**Disclaimer:** I do hereby disclaim any right or responsibilities for the characters used in this story. All rights are reserved for the respective creator of _Inuyasha,_ Rumiko Takahashi.

* * *

**Heartbeats****  
****by Rikayu**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Touch**

His long silvery hair was pulled into a loose ponytail and draped over his right shoulder. His sweater was thrown carelessly to the foot of the bed and his glasses were carefully folded on the bedside table. Almost hesitantly, he let a soft groan escape his lips as the tips of his fingers tingled almost pleasantly and he dug them deeper into the bed sheets.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?"

He slowly shook his head against his pillow.

He felt warm breath against his ear. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No..don't stop…" he answered in a low, rumbling voice.

He felt soft fingers run down the length of his back and a most delightful shiver shot up his spine. Sesshoumaru groaned again. If he were feline, he'd almost be inclined to purr.

Kagome gave the best massages.

* * *

**End Note: **___I've been a bad Rika for not updating more often. I hope this little chapter makes up for it though. _


End file.
